Abstract

At present there are several instruments to evaluate linguistic performance at different ages, however, in relation to early childhood assessments, research has obtained divergent results highlighting the need for functional evaluative approaches. This hinders the screening of children who require intervention, and in turn slows down the process of achieving therapeutic objectives. The purpose of this study is to make a first description of the psychometric measures of validity and reliability of the Language Use Inventory (LUI) in Chile. This is a questionnaire that is considered a functional evaluation since it provides linguistic information through the report of the parents in their natural context. Method: The design was non-experimental analytical and had a sample consisting of 150 children aged 18 to 47 months attending kindergartens belonging to the National Board of Kindergartens (JUNJI). Of the 150 parents who completed the instrument, 14% completed it a second time 2 weeks later to determine test-retest reliability. Results: the internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach’s Alpha and its results varied between 0.84 and 0.88, which suggests that the LUI is a valid instrument to be applied in children who speak Chilean Spanish. On the other hand, the reliability test retest was calculated with Spearman-Brown, which yielded a positive correlation concluding that it is a reliable instrument. Conclusions: This study is the first to provide psychometric information on LUI in Chile and its results indicate that it is a valid and reliable instrument to be applied in preschool children.